As the weather gets warmer and summer continues, the amount of mosquitoes we have to watch out for increases. Mosquitoes can carry extremely dangerous if not deadly diseases, so it is important to know how to protect yourself from them, and avoid getting hurt. In this post, I will be taking a little break from the normal topics of this website to talk a little bit about how we can keep ourselves safe from the dangers that mosquitoes pose. But first, before we dive into how to protect ourselves, we need to first discuss why mosquitoes are such a threat in the first place, and what diseases they may carry.
Why Are Mosquitoes Dangerous?
Mosquitoes pose such threat to humans for one huge and obvious reason: they spread disease. However, it is not just the fact that they spread disease that makes them so dangerous, it is how they spread it, and how effective they are at doing so. It is said that there are around 100 quadrillion (100,000,000,000,000,000) mosquitoes in the world, with over 3,000 different species. Just the sheer number of mosquitoes is reason enough to be wary of them, however the way they transmit disease also makes them extraordinarily dangerous. Instead of biting you, which you may feel, a mosquito sucks on your blood by inserting its proboscis (mouth) into your skin. The proboscis is so small that often we don't feel when they have "bitten" us. Because of this, it can often be very hard to defend against mosquitoes. Next, let's take a look at some of the diseases mosquitoes transmit.
Diseases Transmitted By Mosquito
There are many different diseases that mosquitoes can transmit, some of which pose little to no threat, others that can be lethal. Here are a list of some of the most common and dangerous diseases that mosquitoes carry:
The Zika Virus- newly discovered in 2015, the Zika Virus, transmitted through the Aedes mosquito, has been linked to various birth defects in newborn children. Someone with the Zika virus may show signs of fever, rash, headache, join pain, red eyes, or muscle pain. There is currently no vaccination for it.
Yellow Fever- Yellow Fever, while prominently found in certain parts of Africa, are transmitted by mosquitoes around the world. A person with Yellow Fever may show signs of fever, chills, severe headaches, back pain, body aches, nausea, fatigue, or weakness. The disease can also reach a more severe form if not treated, causing high fever, jaundice, bleeding, and eventually failure of organs. There are vaccines available for this disease
Dengue Fever- similar to Yellow Fever, Dengue occurs mostly in Africa, however can affect those in other countries as well. It is one of the most common diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, infecting about 400 million people every year. Symptoms of Dengue include: severe headaches, high fevers, severe eye pain, joint pain, muscle/bone pain, rash, and bleeding manifestation. This disease can be fatal, and there are no current vaccines, however there are certain treatment methods that can be employed.
Malaria- causing about 212 million cases in 2015, with 1,500 of those in the United States, Malaria is one of the most known and most feared diseases caused by mosquitoes. Some of the symptoms of Malaria include: fever/flu like symptoms, shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, vomiting, and nausea. This infection can become deadly if not treated.
EEE- triple E, also known as Eastern equine encephalitis, is one of the scariest diseases carried by mosquitoes. About 5-10 people in the United States are diagnosed with it each year. EEE causes a severe inflammation of the brain, resulting in headaches, high fevers, chills, and vomiting. Without treatment, it can evolve into disorientation, seizures, and coma. About one third of people with EEE die, and many who survive it have severe brain damage.
These are just a few of the most popular diseases, but there is so much more information about them that I do not have space to talk about here. If you would like to learn more about them, I suggest going to the CDC's website, which you can do by clicking here. They provided a lot of the information I used in this section.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
If you are anything like me, after learning about some of the diseases mosquitoes transmit, you may be extremely worried for your health and safety. It is important to remember that the chances of contracting any of these diseases is extremely rare, and if you take the necessary precautions, nearly impossible. However, just because the chances are slim does not mean it could never happen, so it is our jobs to protect ourselves and families from mosquitoes. Here are a few of the most common ways you can avoid being bitten by them:
Go outside during the middle of the day: most mosquitoes will be active either earlier in the morning or at dusk. Scheduling your day so that you will be outside in the afternoon or late at night will help minimize your chance of being bitten.
Use bug repellent: this one goes without saying, but spraying bug repellent on yourself before going outside will really help to keep the mosquitoes away. There are tons of different brands of bug repellent, and each have their own pros and cons. One of the best brands of bug spray is known as Repel 100, which I have used with great success. If you would like to purchase it, you can do so here.
What to Do If You are Bitten
So, if you do end up being bitten by a mosquito, it is not always a cause for immediate panic. Most often, you will just end up with an annoying itch and slightly swollen skin. However, if you start to develop ANY of the symptoms of the diseases mentioned earlier, you should visit a hospital immediately. Most often these symptoms develop about 4 to 10 days after the initial bite, so if you notice a mosquito bite you should be wary of these symptoms. Even if they just end up being a coincidence, it is ALWAYS better to err on the side of caution.
Conclusion
Mosquitoes are undeniably one of the most dangerous animals on our planet. However, it is fairly easy to avoid their worst effects if you are careful enough. Ultimately, if there is anything you take away from this post, it should be that mosquitoes are not a problem to be taken lightly. They cause hundreds of deadly diseases, all of which can happen to anyone. At the same time, it is equally pointless to CONSTANTLY worry about mosquitoes, as it gets to a point where there is no more you can do to protect yourself. Just do whatever you can, and make sure to stay safe. Thanks for reading.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/outdoor/mosquito-borne/
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/mosquitos-the-most-dangerous-animal-on-earth-021216#1
https://www.quora.com/How-many-mosquitoes-are-there-in-the-world
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-mosquito-bites-itch
http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/articles/when-are-mosquitoes-most-active
https://www.cdc.gov/
Images:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mosquito/
https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publichealth/insects/mosquito.html
https://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/amit/story/18_mosquito.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/15/mosquito-borne-virus-now-in-mexico-other-sun-spots-may-pose-pregnancy-risk-study_n_8987916.html
http://mytips10.blogspot.com/2015/10/dengue-fever-symptoms-and-treatment-what-is-dengue-fever.html
https://www.askjpc.org/wsco/wsc/wsc97/97wsc13.htm
https://pixabay.com/en/photos/dusk/
https://www.amazon.com/Repel-Insect-Repellent-Single-Bottle/dp/B004H89KFC
http://wildhunt.org/2016/04/healing-for-the-spiritpagan-hospital-chaplains.html
http://www.mountainlets.com/morzine-blog/stay-safe-your-ski-holiday
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